Combined driving and check rein



(NqModeL) R. s. PI OKETT. I COMBINED DRIVING AND CHECK REIN. No.552,393. Patented Dec. 3l, 1895.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS S. PICKETT, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

I COMBINED DRIVING AND CHECK REIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,393, dated December31, 1895.

Application filed July 11, 1895. $erial No. 555,628. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUFUS S. PICKETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven, and in the State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Driving and Check Rein; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a viewin side elevation of my invention as applied in working position; Fig.2, a detail perspective view showing the manner of connecting thecheck-hook-carryingstrap with the collar.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of my invention is to dispense with the usual separatecheckrein employed in addition to the driving-reins, to do away with theterrets for guiding and supporting the driving-reins, and to provide achecking device so combined with the driving-reins that the horse can bereadily unchecked or the amount of checking can be varied by the driverwithout the necessity of his leaving his seat; and with these ends inView my invention consists in the combined driving and checking deviceand in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the partsthereof, as hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, A designates the saddle of a driving-harness, and Bdesignates the collar, both of which parts can be of any of thewellknown forms, as appearing in harness now in use, except that thecollaris without the usual terrets for supporting the driving-reins C.

On the saddle A is a check-hook D, andextending forward from this hookis a strap E, preferably padded up even with the saddle, as shown, andhaving its forward end detachably connected with the collar by anydesired means, as by the strap and-buckle connection shown at E in thedrawings. On this strap are several check-hooks D D D making, with hookD on the saddle, a series of hooks to allow for variation. in the amountof checking up. Attached at its opposite ends to the opposite straps orsides of the driving reins C is the cross-piece C which can be in theform of a strap; but I prefer to make it of a curved strip of springmetal or other material stiff enough to prevent its bending too sharplyor shutting up when it is placed in engagement with one of thecheck-hooks in checking up the horse. Where the crosspiece is of metal,it is preferably covered with leather. In form it is curved as shown inthe drawings. Being made stiff enough to maintain substantially suchshape and to prevent any sharp bending at the point where it engages acheck-hook it obviously will not interfere with the use of the reins forguiding the horse, since it will, as one side or strap of such reins ispulled on, slide easily across the rear side of the hook. Resting, asshown, on the check-hook-carrying part this cross piece C will obviouslyserve Well tosupport the driving-reins, so that the usual terrets on thesaddle can be dispensed with.

With the construction above described and shown in the drawings thedriver can, by simply pulling upon and raising the drivingreins,disengage the cross-piece C from any check -hook to entirely uncheck thehorse and leave him free to lower his head to drink; or, where it isdesired merely to vary the amount of checking, he can, after thecrosspiece has been disengaged from one hook, lower it so as to cause itto engage any other one of the hooks. gaging any one of the check-hooksthe driving-reins are made to serve also the function of a checkrein.

The operation and manner of using my combined driving and checkingdevice, which will be readily understood from the foregoing description,are briefly as follows: With the cross-piece C in engagement with one ofthe check-hooks the checking will be maintained as one side or the otherof the drivingreins is pulled to guide the horse, for the crosspiecewill remain in engagement with the hook, merely sliding to one side orthe other. When the amount of checking up is to be varied, the driver,without leaving his seat, draws upon both sides of the driving-reins andthen lifts them to raise the cross-piece above the check-hook engaged byit. He can then by drawing the reins farther back or loosening thembring the cross-piece to one of the other check-hooks so that upondepressing the reins the cross-piece will drop \Vith this cross-pieceenbehind the desired hook. In the manner indicated the driver caninstantly vary the amount of checking up to ease the horse while goingup hill and check him up shorter again when the rise in the road ispassed, or he can raise the cross-piece so as to clear all the hooks toleave the horse entirely free to lower his head for drinking.

I desire it to be understood that in using the term check-hook I do notintend to limit myself to a check-device-engaging projection which isactually hooked, but that the term is employed merely as a generic one,covering any projection adapted to engage and hold the device forchecking up the horse.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a drivingharness, in combination with a check hook and asupport for the same, thedriving reins, free to be moved with refcrence to the check hook, and across piece to engage the check hook attached to the opposite sides ofthe driving reins, and of such length as to be capable of being raisedout of engagement with the check hook by movement of the reins,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a driving harness, in combination with a chcckhook, and a supportfor the same, the driving reins free to be raised and lowered withreference to the check hook, and a curved cross-piece attached to thereins, and adapted to engage the check-hook, substantially as and forthe purpose shown.

3. In a drivingharness, in combination with a check-hook and a supportfor the same, the driving reins, and a cross-piece of spring materialattached to the reins, and adapted to engage the hook, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

4. In a drivin gharness, in combination with a support on the harness,the driving reins, and a cross piece attached to the opposite sides ofthe driving reins and engaging the support on the harness, so as to keepthe drivin g reins raised in the position which they are to have,when inuse for driving the horse, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

5. In a driving harness in combination with a support carrying a seriesof check hooks, a cross piece to engage any one of such hooks, and adriving rein having the two sides conneeted by a cross piece and free tobe moved with reference to the support carrying the check hooks, so asto disengage the cross piece from such hooks, substantially as andfol-the purpose specified.

(3. In a driving harness, in combination with the saddle and collar, apiece connected with. both, and provided with one or more checkhooks,substantially as and for the purpose shown.

'7. In a driving harness, in combination with the saddle and collar, apiece attached to one, and d etachabl y connected with the other, provided with one or more check-hooks, substantiall y as and for thepurpose set forth.

8. In a driving harness, in combination with the driving reins, and thecross-piece attached thereto, the saddle, the collar, a piece extendingfrom saddle to collar, and a series of devices one forward of the other,arranged so that the cross-piece can be engaged with any one of them,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this92d day of June, 1805.

RUFUS S. PICKET'J.

*itnesses:

JAMES BISHOP, CHARLES MILLER.

